


Home (Is Where We're Going)

by polkadotPotter



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Basically season 7, F/F, F/M, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gay, Keith (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Slow Burn, also unrelated but zarkon is basically just a crusty thanos and you CANT change my mind, but its okay because the gays are thirsty and we'll wait, klance, like literally so slow guys, not an au, pidge is a lesbian, post-season 6, romelle is my fave and i've known her for like a day, this is literally just me trying to fix season 6 guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 23:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polkadotPotter/pseuds/polkadotPotter
Summary: Basically me fixing everything that happened in season 6 by writing my own imaginative continuation of the series.OrTeam Voltron is going home and people bond plus some gay shit happens.





	1. Aftermath

It was hard, coordinating travel without the castle. The group of them moved separately. Not to mention the extra friends they'd picked up- when Lance was tapped into the comm system, Keith could make out the soft huffing of Kaltenecker in the background. Romelle was riding in Blue with Allura and Coran. Shiro- finally, his Shiro- was with Lance. Wolf was curled up to the side of Keith's chair, curiously sniffing at the wiring. And Krolia was standing behind him, a hand on the backrest of his chair, almost dutifully.

Keith ran his thumb wistfully over Black's control lever. He was used to the idea of Krolia now- after all, it _had_ been over two years. But, there was a rhythm that was cracking now that they were back in sync with the rest of the universe. For so long, it had been just them. One goal to keep them waking up every morning, just them and Wolf and an empty atmosphere and so many memories. It was something he was used to now.

So he appreciated this time alone in Red, with Wolf and his mom. He almost wished Romelle were here, her pale hand curled against the back of his chair near Krolia's- on the journey back to reality, he had begun to grow used to her as well. And it wasn't as if he hadn't missed his fellow paladins, his friends. He had missed them, so much. But it had been so long for him. Years. Literally. He almost wasn't sure that he remembered how to act around them. Like any past progress he had started had vanished.

"Keith," Krolia drew his attention with the soft call of his name. She could tell he was upset- she always could. It was odd, how intuitive she was, when Keith was the opposite. "They are your friends still. And they will be patient with you."

Keith sighed, squeezing the handle of the lever in his slight distress. "I know. But-" he paused, trying to think of how he could put his thoughts into words that were understandable. He couldn't. So he ended his sentence there, at _'but'_. 

"You love them," Krolia observed. Keith blinked in her direction. It wasn't like Krolia hadn't already _known_ this- his confusion to her bringing it up was obvious apparently, because quickly, the Galran continued. "Some more than others. And they love you back- some more than others."

"They don't know that," Keith said, looking stoically ahead. He referred to the first statement- about him. Stars blurred into lines in the corners of his eyes. 

Krolia looked at him. "So you still-"

"Yes." At his mother's silence, Keith added, "I never denied it."

"You never confirmed it, either," was the reply. Keith almost snorted. Yes, he had. Every time Keith had spoken, it was a confirmation. His voice, the smile on his face. He loved the paladins, but yeah, some more than others. Shiro was his family, his first family, the one that was with him since the Garrison. And then-

Well. 

There was Lance, he guessed.

He'd always sort of known (and by always, he meant that he'd realized one day in the middle of a particularly bloody battle) that he loved Lance. And it wasn't like any of that love at first sight shit, but he knew his own mind. Even when he and Lance would bicker, back in the earlier days when they were just figuring out of to form Voltron, he felt like Lance could be something more. Someone bigger than he was back then, someone who meant something more than flirtatious comments and forced rivalries. Not just to Keith, but to the universe. That might have been the first hint that Keith was sinking into the golden abyss of Lance McClain.

And then there was the debacle with Sendak, and Lance not remembering (or refusing to remember) the tender moment they'd shared. It hadn't been such a disgrace at the time, and Keith had felt more embarrassment then disappointment, but there'd still been a heavy feeling in his chest when he'd laid down to sleep that night. 

That heavy feeling just grew as time went on, as he and Lance got closer. As he and Shiro -though he supposed now that it really wasn't Shiro at all- drifted apart, hardly noticeable but still there and still painful. Then, somehow, the heavy feeling turned to something recognizable. It turned into... well, it was like a sun had rooted itself in his chest, right where his heart should have been, and it burst with energy at any and all thoughts regarding Lance. His smile was the catalyst of recurring supernovas. Keith honestly didn't know why he was still surprised every time it happened. He knew it did, knew that it would still, even if he had only seen Lance for a tense, short while before Lotor had been exposed and Allura had _flipped him the fuck over her shoulder like a bad ass_ and they'd all had to chase after mind-controlled-clone-Shiro.

But, hey. Things could be worse.

"Everyone," Allura's smooth voice rose up softly, like she was being careful not to startle anyone by speaking too abruptly. "We have been travelling for a while. I suggest that we find a place to rest soon."

As soon as she said it, Keith felt his limbs grow heavy. He was tired. It was like stone in his veins, making him hurt- he was suddenly aware of how long it had been since he'd slept somewhere that wasn't the ground. "Yeah," he found himself agreeing. Absently, he reached up to touch the new mark on his face. "God knows we could use it."

There were hums and murmurs of agreement. "My scanners are detecting a planet not far from here," Pidge spoke up, already on the ball. Maybe a dobosh or two away. "I can't tell much from here, but judging on from where we are... it seems to be Krell."

"Oh, Krell!" Coran chirps, bafflingly chipper despite his current losses. "I used to go there with my Grandpap back in the day, massively friendly people! Great food, too."

"Father always loved the juniberry nunvill they made," Allura announced wistfully, and Keith could hear the smile in her voice. 

"Not more nunvill," Lance groaned, and Keith bit back a laugh.

"No one's forcing _you_ to drink it, sharpshooter," he joked.

"Keith!" Lance said back indignantly, and Keith heard the rest of the team laugh through the comms. He smiled softly. He had really missed this.

\-----

As it turned out, Krell had remained a friendly planet throughout the ages. Sure, they'd had a skirmish with the Galra here and there, but they were a relatively well protected planet, despite simultaneously being relatively unimportant. Keith supposed that was how it had lasted.

Voltron was received with the mandatory fanfare when landing in the capitol, which was almost shocking because the Krellians had had just about no warning that they were coming. Allura had contacted their leader half a dobosh earlier to ask if their visit was alright- which of course, it was. Keith blinked as someone popped what looked like a little confetti cannon.

Keith took a moment to rub his palm affectionately against Black's console, and then Wolf, before stepping down onto the exit ramp. The rest of the paladins were already doing so. 

"Paladins of Voltron!" a short, stout man hobbled over to them, grinning broadly- sort of like a cherub, Keith thought, but like, older. The man had rough skin, littered with intricate markings that were as colorful as they were intriguing. The marks trailed his jawline and spun across his forehead, like a frantic pathway. The man waved, and Keith noticed he sported only four fingers a hand. "What an honor! I apologize for the slight disarray- your arrival came as such a shock!"

Allura waved her hands kindly. "Really, we wanted to cause no hassle for you or your people- we appreciate it greatly, nonetheless." Keith dared to look over at Red, where Lance was standing tall on her ramp- he had that smile on his face, the one he wore when he was getting recognized for something he did. It was annoyingly endearing. Lance caught his gaze and waved. Keith looked back at the short man.

"Allow me to introduce myself- I am Yontak, leader of Krell! It is an honor," he bowed low, his nose nearly poking the dirt, "to be of assistance."

Allura balked, flushed and baffled at the attention. She smiled kindly through it. "Please, there is no need to bow," she told Yontak bashfully. 

Yontak shot right up at that. "Of course!" he said dutifully. He smiled at Allura. "Now- please tell us, how can we help you?"

"Well, really," Lance said, gathering the attention of the Krellians, "we just need a place to stay the night."

"And maybe some food," Hunk put in hopefully. 

Allura sent them both a look. "If it's not too much," she added politely.

Yontak nodded. "But of course! You can stay in the chambers in the palace, they are open always! Come, come!" he beckoned them further into the city, making to lead them to the palace. Keith quickly darted back into Black, gathering a few necessities. 

"We are welcome," Keith said. Krolia eyed him uncomfortably, and he knew why. She was part of The Blade, and she was so used to coming and going under the watchful eye of no one, her whereabouts always a secret and he footsteps always silent. Now there was a crowd of people, and entire planet, watching her. Her feet on the ground would be impossibly loud. "So are you."

Krolia swallowed, bending over to pet Wolf. "Yes, I know," she said. Wolf leaned into her touch, his ears flicking happily. "I may just... remain here for the time being."

"Krolia," Keith said. For some reason, he'd never taken to calling her mom. It felt too weird and foreign. Too intimate for them- understanding each other was enough, he thought. "I'll be there."

His mother hesitated, but nodded. "Okay," she said. She grabbed her light bag as well. Keith hummed for Wolf to join them, which he did happily. 

Keith sighed. "To the palace," he said.


	2. Krell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith tries to get used to the real world again, and Lance is looking for comfort. Someone changes their hair before dinner.

The Castle of Lions most definitely remained Keith's favorite palace, by far. There was nothing wrong with Krell's palace, just... well, it wasn't _his_. Not that the Castle of Lions had been explicitly his, but his meaning was clear enough. It wasn't familiar. It wasn't home.

He'd been shown to his room by a servant, just as rough skinned and tattooed as Yontak, before being formally invited to a celebratory dinner. The palace was grand, intricately designed, decorated with soft golds and blues. It was achingly reminiscent of The Castle. Keith briefly wished that he were back in his old room. Impeccably clean, smelling of... he didn't know. But maybe it would make sleep come easier. 

Keith had dropped the minute he'd seen the bed, exhausted. Not having had a proper sleep in over two years, plus having been stretched to the brim during the recent battle (he _didn't_ want to think about fighting Shiro, hearing his brother call him a disappointment and reckless and _God_ that felt _horrible_ ), he would have thought that sleeping would be his first instinct. But- he couldn't keep his eyes closed, and his mind was racing. There was so much, so much going on inside his head. He didn't even know what, either. But everything felt too fast, too loud. Despite it being silent and calm in his room.

Plus, the bed was too comfortable. Of all the things that could bother him, it had to be comfort? Of course, that wasn't too shocking, Keith thought. He'd spent so long sleeping on the rocky floor of a cave. He was used to it. And now this mattress was swallowing him.

Keith sighed, defeated. Pulling himself up, he grabbed the blankets and dragged them to the floor where he bundled them around himself in a nest. Hidden under the pile of blankets, he was less comfortable than he'd been on the bed. The floor was hard beneath him, only a blanket or two to support his back. It was honestly much better. Keith found himself drifting off easily, warm and secure. Just a little nap before dinner, he thought to himself.

\-----

Keith was startled awake by a tentative knock on his door. He jerked up, breathing fast. Shit. Who was it? Was it someone dangerous? What if- fuck, what if they weren't safe? But there would be no knock if it was an attacker, right? But maybe-

"Keith?" a voice called, and it was recognizable. Lance. Keith sighed in relief, trying to calm his throbbing heart.

"Hey, Lance," he said back. His voice was strained.

There was a slight pause before Lance spoke again. "Can I... can I come in?"

Keith frowned. "Yeah, sure." His door creaked open and Lance stepped in, a cautious grimace on his face. He looked toward the bed, then frowned when he saw it empty- his eyes flitted down to Keith, on the floor wrapped in blankets. "Keith? What are you doing down there?"

"Um." Keith blinked, feeling awkward. How was he supposed to explain it to Lance without seeming weird? "I... couldn't sleep. In the bed."

Lance pondered the answer, then nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you aren't used to beds anymore are you?"

"Uh, yeah," Keith responded, shocked that Lance had understood. He had forgotten that underneath the boy's humorous exterior, he was intuitive and sensitive. Which, now that he thought of it, probably had something to do with why he was here now. "Um... so, you okay? Or-" Keith cursed himself. Why the hell was he so emotionally repressed? "Why- why are you here?"

Lance shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Oh. Well, um." He seemed hesitant. "I just... I wanted to talk to you. About stuff." 

Keith gave Lance a look to prod him into continuing. "Like, what, Lance?"

"Like..." Lance blushed. "Allura."

Keith sighed, feeling his stomach clench painfully. So this was why Lance had looked so forlorn. He was still hung up on the Altean. Not that there was anything wrong with her, but Keith couldn't help but resent the relationship she held with Lance. He was sure that she didn't reciprocate Lance's feelings, but still. It hurt his heart, as weird as it was to admit it. "Oh," Keith said, feeling a little dejected. "What about her?"

Lance sighed. "I don't know... I just- I feel so conflicted. About her." He moved to sit down on the edge of Keith's bed, and Keith joined him. "Like, we've bonded lately, and- I mean, she was getting close with Lotor. And then he went dark, and now I can feel her getting close with me. And- and I'm thrilled that she's showing interest, and that she wants to get close with me, but... I don't want to be the rebound. I mean, I don't- but what if that's all I'm good for?" Lance was wringing his hands nervously, dejectedly. Keith felt suddenly stupid for feeling sad when Lance was... feeling this. Feeling not good enough.

"Hey. Lance." Keith debated moving closer, but he settled for just looking at the other boy sincerely. "You know Allura better than a lot of us, so you know that she'd never put you through being a rebound. If she had feelings for you, she'd wait it out, make sure she wasn't acting rashly. She's better than that. _You're_ better than that, you deserve better than that." Keith paused when Lance didn't say anything. "If she took comfort in you, it was as a friend. But she wouldn't- she's Allura. She loves you, whether it's romantically or not. You know? It's just... I don't think she'd let herself make you feel like that. Shitty."

Lance bit his lip anxiously. He didn't say anything for a while, like he was contemplating what Keith had said, deciding if he believed him or not. Finally, though, he spoke. "I really like her," he said. "At least, I think. I-" Lance sighed, frustrated. "I've always had trouble with, like, my feelings and stuff. And, I can't- I mean I know I _like_ Allura, I just don't really know how."

Keith tilted his head, frowning. "What?" 

"Okay, well-" Lance shifted on the bed. "Like, I know I think she's pretty, and awesome, and smart. And like really, really cool. And she makes me want to be a better person, only- well, I don't know how much that really counts toward anything, because..." Lance blushed like he didn't want to go on. "You do too." Keith blinked, heat rising to his face. Did that mean...? "And so does Shiro, and Hunk, and you know, the- the others and stuff, so-" Keith shook his head at himself. Never mind. "-so I think that part is just because we're all paladins together and really good friends and stuff, I think. But I don't know, I'm just really weird with my own feelings. Like yeah, I'm- _attracted_ to her, but am I like, _into her_ into her? 'Cause I don't- I'm not sure."

Keith thought on that for a while, as Lance fiddled with the hem of his shirt and glanced at him nervously out of the corner of his eye. "I think..." he folded his hands together. "I think you don't have to know. You don't have to know everything, and I think- I think as long as you try not to hurt Allura by acting too rashly or anything, or hurt yourself, try not to do that either, I think you're good." He reached out to carefully place a hand on Lance's shoulder in hopes of maybe being comforting. "You're young, you don't have to know everything about yourself."

Lance, despite his obvious mental confusion, balked at Keith in the most humorous manner. "Young?" he said, eyes wide. " _Young_?" Keith frowned, unsure of what was so funny. "You age two years on the back of some crusty space worm and now you're acting like some wise old monk. Jeez, Keith." Lance laughed, then, and Keith felt a pang in his chest. It was good, though. He'd made Lance laugh, even if it was at his own expense.

"At least I got something out of it," Keith snapped, taking the obvious bait. 

"I never said you didn't," Lance said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I mean, hey, Romelle is hot."

Keith made to retaliate, but then paused, closing his mouth with a slow blink. "Romelle?" he asked.

Lance nodded earnestly. "Yeah, you guys are like, a thing, right?"

"No," Keith frowned. "Why- why would you think that?"

"Uh, because you guys are weirdly close for how emotionally repressed you are," Lance explained.

"Lance, _we're_ weirdly close," Keith reminded him, surprising himself briefly that he was right about that. "And I spent nearly a year with nobody else except Krolia, a space wolf and Romelle. We're bound to get close."

Lance huffed, crossing his arms. "Okay, well- if not Romelle, then who? I mean, you had to have met someone like, in The Blade, or something."

Keith laughed, actually laughed. "The Blade? Really, Lance? That's the last place you'd find a girl looking to date. Besides-" Keith stopped himself. He wasn't sure if he was ready to share that yet. That he was more into guys. 

"Besides what?" Lance asked. 

"Uh, nothing," Keith fixed himself. "So- what time is it?"

Lance gave Keith an odd look, but accepted the change in subject. "It's mid-afternoon. Fun fact, Yontak is hiring people to help us get ready for the big dinner." Lance grinned at this. "Imagine how bomb I'll look done up by a professional, and all that shit."

Keith grimaced. "Do I have to go to that?"

Lance looked as if Keith had just said something scandalizing. "Um, yes. If you want to look presentable at all. Keith, you look like you got ran over by a bus." Keith looked down at himself- even with his undersuit on, he could tell he looked pretty rough. He gave Lance a weak shrug, ignoring the fact that he could feel Lance trying not to stare at his newly acquired scar. Lance continued, reaching over to pluck at Keith's hair playfully. "Besides, maybe they can do something about your mullet- I swear, you let it get worse when you were gone."

Keith gave Lance a look. "Didn't exactly have scissors and a mirror on the crusty space worm." Lance grinned at his reference. Keith smiled awkwardly back. "Well, it's been nice talking and all, but I think I already slept and I guess," he sighed sarcastically, "I should go see what Yontak has in mind to make me look presentable."

"You know," Lance said suggestively, "I could always come with, give them some pointers."

Keith's eyes widened. "Oh, hell no," he said, horrified. "I'm not letting you near me. You'd stuff me into a face mask."

Lance huffed. "You don't get _stuffed_ into a face mask, you-" he stopped himself. "Ugh, you are insufferable."

"You've suffered through the last ten minutes," Keith observed, and Lance glared at him.

"You know what I mean." 

Keith just shrugged in response, a sated smile on his face. "Whatever you say, Lance."

\-----

After Lance left, Keith made his way down the hall that the other paladin had directed him to. There was a Krellian fiddling with some wall decorations who looked up at his soft sounds of approach. "Ah!" said the Krellian, beaming as he set down the fixture he'd been messing with. "Are you the paladin I am to prepare for the feast?"

"Um, I think so," Keith said. The Krellian perked up, waving him into a nearby room enthusiastically. 

"Come, come!" he said. He ushered Keith inside, setting him in a chair. The room was similarly decorated to the rest of the castle, with pale colors of royalty. "You look ruffled!"

Keith sent the Krellian an odd look. "You can say that I look like shit."

"No, no no!" The Krellian amended. "You are a very handsome specimen."

Keith didn't know how to respond to that, so he reacted by crossing his arms over his chest awkwardly. "Ah, come, sit!" the Krellian urged him, guiding him to a chair. It was positioned in front of a large mirror, and Keith looked at himself tentatively, holding back a grimace. Damn, he really did look rough. There was dirt smudged on his face, and something that looked a little bit like dry blood. He had a gigantic bruise blooming from underneath his chin, angrily curling over the undersides of his right jaw. He had another bruise on his left cheek, paired with a painful looking scrape. His undersuit was ragged and dirtied and torn in multiple places. And then... the scar. It was painful to look at, ragged and fresh and raised just above the rest of his skin, red and angry looking. 

Keith blinked at his reflection, swallowing thickly. Why did it hurt to look at himself?

"I can heal most of your bruises," the Krellian interrupted Keith's thinking, startling him. "Krell is famous for our quick healing abilities." Keith found himself nodding along to this, wishing that he wouldn't have to look at the worst of his injuries anymore. He could deal with the sore ribs and the aching bones, but having to see this on himself- having others see this on himself, this reminder of what had gone down, it was too much. He looked away from the mirror and down at his lap. He noticed that his hands were clenching the material of his undersuit tightly. His knuckles were pale.

The Krellian got to work, cupping Keith's bruises in his hands professionally, spreading gels and concoctions over the areas. Keith was pretty sure that some of it was makeup. Keith was slipped out of his undersuit and into a formal looking outfit that was strikingly black, contrasting the pastel aesthetic of the castle. His long hair fell underneath the collar of the shirt. It took a while, but suddenly the Krellian was patting his shoulder and saying he was done. 

Keith looked up, and blinked in surprise. His face was clean- the bruises had faded, the dirt and blood were gone, and he looked... actually better than he had in a long time. The only thing that remained was- "You didn't cover up my scar," Keith said, reaching up to brush his fingers against it. It felt ugly and bitter to the touch. Keith quickly drew his hand away, ignoring the look on his own face.

The Krellian looked surprised at the statement. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "Scars are a symbol of strength and honor in our culture- wearing it proudly at the dinner tonight will be a statement of beauty and stature."

Beauty? Stature? Keith wanted to laugh. He was sure he didn't have either of those. "Oh," was all he said. He couldn't really go against the planet's culture, could he? 

The Krellian stylist twitched his large, goblin-like ears toward Keith. "Is there anything else you would like me to do for you, paladin?"

Keith opened his mouth to say no, but the paused as his eyes fell on his own hair. It had grown longer in his time away, and it was more unruly and strange looking than ever. It was caught uncomfortably underneath his large collar and his neck was... really warm. Reaching back, he took a large strand between his fingers and pulled it out so that he could look at it. "Actually..." Keith began. "There is _one_ more thing you could do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i've always loved fanart that had keith with short hair dont @ me bitch

**Author's Note:**

> sorry it's short!! promise there will be more content to come haha :)


End file.
